Zara arrived at the office earlier than usual, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor,the building felt quieter than usual, but her mind wasn't. It kept replaying fragments from yesterday, the flashes of cameras, the low murmur of investors, the weight of attention every time she stood beside Ethan, making her feel quite uncomfortable but she shook it off.
She paused her steps briefly at the glass doors of her office, to take a look at her reflection, as a prideful woman , she mustn't be caught unkempt , she stood there for almost a minute admiring her beauty, pure , refined and mature ,exactly how she preferred it.
She dusted her sleeves with her jade-like hand, and moved towards the office, immediately she entered the office, someone greeted her , "good morning Zara " , she turned , just to see Ethan already seated at the conference table with his tablet in hand looking calm and composed, as usual .
Morning, "she replied", you're quite early today, she said while dropping her model like handbag on the table , "so are you" Ethan replied her , she wanted to give a reply but before she would do that , the door opened again and produced something like a siren sound , it was her manager that stepped in followed by another man with a rare coily brown hair paired with his brown eyes which made him pleasing to the eye, he's a senior executive from the board . The presence of the senior executive changed the atmosphere instantly .
Noticing the odd atmosphere, the brown haired man spoke up. This won't take long, he brought out two files and dropped them on the table , you both should open it and view the content, "he said".
Zara took a glance at Ethan and before picking one of the files and proceeded to open it . At first, it looked like a standard performance report or feedback. But then she noticed the highlighted sections.
Investor Confidence: Increased by 27% following joint appearance.
Public Perception: Positive media engagement linked to executive partnership image.
Her brows furrowed while opening the file, she became more eager to see what's inside , she gently opened the file and then saw it . The first thing that came to her view was the section title " Strategic incentive packages " she held the file more tight , then it came to view.
Performance bonus: A financial reward tied directly to continued public appearances and investor relations.
Project Authority: Expanded decision making power over the project, reducing oversight from upper management in the board
Resource Allocation: Priority funding and exclusive access to high value clients.
Career Advancement: consideration for senior leadership positions within the company
She raised her head and blinked her eyes, she looked at the brown haired man, stunned. She didn't know what to say . Your dynamic works. Investors trust what they see: the stability, alignment, and control, the man said.
Ethan leaned back slightly in his chair, completely at ease,he said , and in return, we're rewarded for maintaining it, right?. The executive nodded once, yes, but understand this, consistency is key. One misstep or one contradiction in public, and that confidence disappears, he replied to him while maintaining a serious face.
Zara felt something shift in her chest. This wasn't just about playing along anymore. This was real, measurable leverage, this is getting harder and more serious than she thought .
After the meeting ended, the room fell quiet again, as silent as a graveyard. Zara stared at the folder for a few seconds longer before closing it. Well,she said, exhaling softly, that's clearer than I expected.
Ethan stood up, adjusting his jacket, you like clarity, right?She looked at him and replied ,"I like knowing what I'm getting into, and now you do, " Ethan asked her.
She looked at him, narrowing her eyes slightly and asked , are you not surprised by any of this, are you? , a small pause and he answered no. He smirked and stepped closer to her , lowering his voice just slightly. The question is does it change anything for you?Anyway , just know that this will only work if we're both committed , he said before walking out of the office.
Later that afternoon, the both of them were called in for a preparation session for an upcoming media appearance. A communications specialist stood in front of them, explaining the tone, body language, timing, how to stand, how to respond, even how long to maintain eye contact , Zara listened carefully, with her arms crossed.
Your connection needs to feel natural and free flowing," the specialist said. It should be subtle, not exaggerated. People can actually tell when something is forced.
Let's try a simple interaction, the specialist continued , the both of you should stand closer . Zara hesitated for just a fraction of a second before stepping toward Ethan,
closer than usual, she became immediately aware of how still he was, how controlled his movements always were, she noticed that she's tensed, it seems my act is too flawed, she thought.
Perfect, the specialist said, now let's train on eye contact , you guys should maintain eye contact for about a minute. Zara was unwilling but she had no choice, she just had to ,she met Ethan's gaze, it was calm, stable and steady . For a moment, everything else faded, the room, the instructions, the purpose behind all of this. Zara blinked her eyes and took a step back , perfect, this is what we need, the specialist said.
By the time the session ended, the sun was already beginning to set, They walked out of the building together, an unspoken understanding settling between them. At the car, Zara paused before opening the door. "So," she said, glancing at him, bonuses, promotions, power..not a bad deal. Ethan nodded once, all we have to do, she added, is pretend to be something we're not. He studied her for a second before replying, are we pretending?
The question caught her off guard,of course we're, she replied